Excellent work! This is such a beautiful collection of moments in Cid and Shera's life together. It's amazing how you could pack so much emotion a few paragraphs at a time. Impressive writing! This is going on my favorites list. :D

Finally found a moment to finish reading this. Not much to say on the last set of drabbles, as they're mostly concerned with Shera's end - the same quality as the other chapters, just less variety to comment on. As always, Cid and Shera's emotions are beautifully handled here. It's a shame for Shera to go; I really felt so bad for the kids. But it's a fitting close to the collection, in its way.

Ending with a story set in the afterlife is a very risky move. It's hard to make it meaningful, harder still to make it not feel fake. But I think you pulled it off, and it's probably the most moving piece in these last three chapters.

I've really enjoyed reading through this collection; it's just such a wonderful sketch of Cid and Shera's relationship. Deep, moving, varied, and most important of all, honest. This isn't your typical fan fiction idealized romance with the characters turned into generic lovers. This is Cid and Shera, plain and simple and beautiful.

Well, this bunch of drabbles has jumped right back up to the quality of the earlier chapters. Chapter 15 offers a great mix of tones, from the cute snapshot humor in (i) to the dismal echo of (v). It's a varied yet effective mixture. I particularly like how (iii) takes a look at why Shera loves Cid.

The couple's marital troubles in chapter 16 should have been explored a bit more in my opinion, but what you have here hits the right mark. (ii) and (iii) walk quite a fine line in that they are gut-punching painful to read, yet do not cross over into the gratuitously depressing nor OOC behavior. The one problem is Cid's dialogue in (iii); I'm not married, so I'm not sure of this, but it struck me as an odd thing for him to say.

(iv) is the best of chapter 16, though. I love Barret, and the way he sets Cid straight is just the sort of thing that I love him for. Beautiful line that is appropriately harsh.

I have to admit that I don't "get" 17-iii. The line "Pretty shoddily wrapped present..." is classic Cid, though. Likewise, his will to know when to stop in (ii) is just another endearing example of Cid being Cid.

I'm so glad you are continuing these because I can never get bored of then. Each and every one of them remind me that there is so much more to Cid and Shera's relationship than what what meets the eye. As usual, your drabbles are meaningful and beautiful. Thank you for keeping their love burning and I hope you continue with more!

To be frank, these ones don't have the brilliance of the earlier chapters, which could be a sign of your running dry of ideas for Cid and Shera. But they're all still enjoyable and loyal to the characters, so no real complaints here, just fewer compliments. I'm actually impressed that you put out as many great ones as you have, and that's presuming there aren't more outstanding pieces in the chapters I have yet to read.

Story 13-i was one I particularly enjoyed. Very cute, and works on a number of levels: as characterizations of Cid and Shera, as a family moment, as a bit of humor, etc. On the whole I like how you had the whole chapter covering the wedding, though (i) was the only individual piece which stood out to me.

And story 14-v is a fun one. I dunno why, but I love seeing old guys enjoy life.

More great little tidbits. There are a few parts that are trite and unconvincing, most notably the closing lines of (i) and (v) in chapter 9, but there are still easily as many excellent moments.

You always capture Cid's independent spirit well, and story 9-iv is a good example of that.

Story 10-iii is one of your best humor pieces. The punchline is an effective use of condensed storyline; what makes the episode funny is that we're told of the six weeks without swearing in a single instant.

(v) is a great homey piece; I love the line "his eyes had burned with excitement and passion; later, with resentment and bitterness." Wonderful summation of Cid's beginnings, his downfall, and his redemption.

I just love 11-iv. Good storytelling on a number of counts, such as the attention to detail, e. not hearing the conversation because of his muttering.

More outstanding stuff, albeit not as strong as the previous batch I reviewed. Having the running thread of the new baby is a good idea. It's a natural step in a relationship, yet it allows you to look at many more shades of Cid and Shera.

Interesting how these chapters are almost exclusively Cid's perspective, given everything I said before about Cid POV, but you still handle his perspective exceptionally well. It's tough to write such a grumpy guy and make the reader empathize with his view, so kudos for pulling it off. The one misstep is in story 6-i, where you have "Shera did not." instead of the more natural "Shera didn't."

Otherwise, though, 6-i is a good recount of Shera's decision to stay with Cid. As always, their emotions are convincing.

(ii) is a good capture of Cid's sexual desire for Shera. The overwhelming majority of women are very sexually attractive, but hide that when they dress to conform with civilized society; I like how you covered that with Shera.

Chapter 7 is a great collection of humorous bits. I especially loved the line "And I'll have to cut down on the cussing too. Fuck." And the line about "weirdos in Speedos" by itself triggers a very strong image of Costa del Sol.

8-iv is a favorite of mine. Beautiful detail in their interactions, a powerful illustration of real world heroism, and best of all, dialogue that speaks volumes in just a handful of words.

Yay chapter 17 . 2/28/2010

Ah, I've been waiting for an update, and I'm so glad you made one! :)

invisiblesplotch chapter 17 . 2/26/2010

i'm so glad that you're continuing this one

No matter how crabby Cid gets you manage to make him just as likeable as he is in the game.

So glad you're still continuing with this! It's always a pleasure to read these little drabbles. They are so charming! I like the second one a lot. Gambling is addicting and good for Cid for turning away from it!

I wasn't sure who the other person in the last drabble was. I'm assuming it was Rose, but it could also fit Yuffie too.

A great collection of drabbles, stronger even than the first couple chapters' worth, I think. I love most of these.

The first two in chapter 3 are especially strong, drawing some nice humor from your honest treatment of the characters, and on a subtler level, some beautiful humanity. The dialogue in (i) is perfect for the characters; it really seems to come right from their mouths. It makes the ensuing bit of roughhousing between Cid and Shera a true and sincere moment of happiness for the two of them. In (ii), the bit with Cid slapping her on the backside gave me a great chuckle, and the piece as a whole is a very compelling reflection.

Story 4-ii doesn't say much, but it's a great scene just in terms of how it's laid out. The descriptions are wonderful. Story 4-iv is the opposite: stark in description, rich in meaning. Just reading it gives you a warm, comforting feeling.

Story 5-i is an unexpected moment, and to be frank, Cid's smiling felt "off" to me. But ultimately, it does make sense for Cid to feel a bond to Shera through their common love of space, especially after most had abandoned that dream years ago. This makes a nice little snapshot moment.

Chapter 5 as a whole is, unless memory sadly fails me, the first this fic has touched on Cid's perspective. It's appropriate for a fic of this sort to have at least a glimpse through his eyes, I think, and you pull it off well, especially in (ii). In general Shera works best as the POV character, since she's far more in touch with her emotions, but some things, such as (ii) and (v), need to be said by the captain, and others, such as (iv), are actually more powerful when Shera's emotions are implied rather than directly stated.

Really, story 5-iv just... I don't know... somehow, it almost made me cry. Naturally, even a guy like Cid knows when he absolutely has to apologize, but it's not something he does well. But Shera recognizes that how well someone apologizes isn't important so much as that he apologizes at all. A powerful moment of reconciliation and still-lingering hurt.

I started poking into these little tales months back, but I'm just now getting to reviewing. Anyway, I love the idea of this collection, and you pull it off very well. Not every one's a winner, but thus far they're all at least agreeable enough to read, and your overall handling of Shera and Cid is nothing short of heartfelt, honest, and beautiful.

My favorites thus far are the first one in chapter 1 and the fourth one in chapter 2. With the first, your honesty with the characters is at its strongest and most refreshing, and the descriptions are simple and compelling. There's just something so heartwarming about the stark tone there; it feels like a real slice of life.

Story 2-iv could use a bit more drawing out - I'd have broken the first two paragraphs up into five paragraphs - but it's a tremendous bit of humor, especially as the ending is truly unexpected. A terrific bit of domestic comedy.